It was another rehabilitation session for Foster, who's making a speedy recovery and is regarded as being ahead of schedule after undergoing groin surgery in August. He tore a portion of the muscle off the bone during one of the first practices of training camp.

After initial concern he might miss half the season, consistent estimates for Foster have pointed toward his returning by late September or early October. And sources not authorized to speak publicly say his progress has fostered optimism he could be back sooner.

Hours after his workout, Foster, 29, was in an introspective mood as he fielded questions about his health. He disclosed he went through counseling this year and touched on how he's handled difficult personal issues and being a philanthropist. Throughout this time, it became clear that despite the disappointment of being hurt, Foster is in a good place in his life.

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"We've made a lot of progress in the rehab of my injury, and we're excited about that," said Foster, who declined to put a timetable for his return. "I'm not happy, because I would rather be out there with my teammates. But life happens, and you've got to roll with it.

"As far as being where I'm at, we're ahead of schedule, and the doctors are pleased with it, and so are the trainers.

"I think this is going to be my best year. I still feel like it will be. It's going to be tough because I have some ground to make up. I was feeling the best, feeling the quickest that I've felt."

Cautious approach

Entering the fourth year of a five-year, $43.5 million contract, the four-time Pro Bowl selection has reached a pivotal time in his career. Even if Foster (6-1, 227) recovers earlier than expected, the Texans might build an additional week into his rehab schedule to prevent potential setbacks.

"I need to feel like I'm 100 percent, as close to 100 percent as I can," Foster said. "When you're dealing with something like muscle injuries, they tend to reoccur if you're not careful. So it's not something you can push through.

"I've played entire seasons with a torn meniscus. I've played entire seasons with a broken collarbone. There are things that you can push through. Muscle injuries, there's nothing you can do, because it literally hinders the movement. As soon as I feel like the movement isn't hindered and I'm not going to reinjure it, I'll be out there."

When Foster got hurt Aug. 3, he barely limped off the field.

He had surgery four days later, with renowned Pennsylvania surgeon Dr. William Meyers repairing the damage in Philadelphia.

For nearly two weeks, Foster was unable to exercise because he had a surgical tube in his stomach.

"It gets frustrating because the evil thoughts start creeping in," Foster said. "You start feeling sorry for yourself. First couple hours, I get very angry. That used to stay with me for a long time. It's all about perspective.

"Look what I've done in my life and look at other situations around the world. I hate to make it that deep, but that's how I rationalize it in my head.

"It's really not that bad. It's an injury, but you're still doing what you love to do, and it's about the journey."

Trying moments like this one have tested Foster's resolve, which he says he's been building ever since his childhood in Albuquerque, N.M.

Rugged upbringing

Raised in a multicultural family in New Mexico as the son of Carl Foster and Bernadette Sizemore, Foster was the youngest of three children.

His brother, Abdul, is a successful trainer for professional athletes, and he has an older sister.

Foster said he didn't have an easy upbringing because of financial challenges and tough times in his neighborhood.

"I was taught young that in order to get something, you have to give something, and that's the sacrifice," Foster said. "You learn to love that grind.

"I grew up in kind of rough circumstances. You learn to love where you came from and love those circumstances because they mold you and they make you. You can't tell if you're a good captain of a ship on clear waters."

A philosophy major at Tennessee who writes poetry, Foster moved to San Diego in high school to live with his father when his parents divorced.

A father to a young daughter and son, Foster is in the process of going through a divorce from his wife, Romina Lombardo Foster, after a court filing in July.

In February, Foster settled a child custody and support case with a former girlfriend.

An awakening

"I've grown so much, man," Foster said. "I might not be the most perfectperson walking the planet, but I know everything that I do I try to do with a genuine intent. I fall short of alot of expectations, and that's just part of life.

"I've been through some of the most tough times personally this last year, but emotionally, I'm probably the happiest I've ever been in my life.

"I thought I was too cool to get counseling. Once I started working on myself and self-reflection and digging into things in my past that were causing me to do things that were self-destructive, I learned why I was doing some of the things I was doing."

Foster said he is passionate about his charitable foundation, battling childhood obesity, and hoping to increase financial education in impoverished communities.

He's holding a fundraiser at Morton's Steakhouse at the Galleria on Sept. 28.

Foster said he sought counseling to deal with being a young father and the stress of being a millionaire football player and celebrity in the public eye.

Cold reality takes hold

"You get to a point where you just break down emotionally," Foster said. "You're the breadwinner in your family, and you're the man of the house, and you're a father, and everyone's just looking at you for everything. That's a lot of pressure.

"You're in the prime of your life physically, but you're in the adolescence of your life mentally. It's hard for people to grasp that concept."